第1章
Intheolddaystherewereangelswhocameandtookmenbythehandandledthemawayfromthecityofdestruction。Weseenowhite-wingedangelsnow。Butyetmenareledawayfromthreateningdestruction:ahandisputintotheirs,whichleadsthemgentlyforthtowardacalmandbrightland,sothattheylooknomorebackward;andthehandmaybealittlechild"s。
ThereisneitherEastnorWest,Border,norBreed,norBirth,Whentwostrongmenstandfacetoface,tho"theycomefromtheendsoftheearth!
IThappenedbymerechancethattheSeptemberdayonwhichProfessorVincentBurgess,A。B。,fromBoston,firstenteredSunriseCollegeasinstructorinGreek,wasthesamedayonwhichVicBurleigh,overgrowncountryboyfromaKansasclaimoutbeyondtheWalnutRiver,signedupwiththesecretaryoftheCollegeBoardandpaidtheentrancefeeforhisfreshmanyear。
Andfurther,bychance,ithappenedthatthetwoyoungmenhadfirstmetatthegatewaytothecampus,onecomingfromtheEastandtheotherfromtheWest,andhavingexchangedthecourtesiesofstrangergreeting,theyhadwalked,sidebyside,upthelongavenuetothefootoftheslope。
Together,theyhadclimbedthebroadflightofstepsleadinguptotheimposingdoorwayofSunrise,withthegreatletterS
carvedinstonereliefaboveit;and,afterpausingamomenttotakeinthematchlesswonderofthelandscapeoverwhicholdSunrisekeepswatch,thecollegeportalhadswungopen,andthetwohadenteredatthesametime。
InsidethedoorwaytheProfessorandthecountryboywereimpressed,thoughindifferingdegrees,withthemassivebeautyoftherotundaoverwhichthestainedglassofthedomehangsahaloofmellowradiance。
Involuntarilytheyliftedtheireyestowardthiscrownoflightandsawfarabovethem,wroughtindaintycoloring,thedesignofthegreatStateSealofKansas,withitsinscriptionTheysawsomethingmoreinthatupwardglance。Onthestairwayoftherotunda,ElinorWream,thenieceofthepresidentofSunriseCollege,wasleaningoverthebalustrade,lookingatthemwithcuriouseyes。
HersmileofrecognitionasshecaughtsightofProfessorBurgess,gaveplacetoanexpressionofhalf-concealedridicule,assheglanceddownatVicBurleigh,thebig,heavy-bonedyoungfellow,sogrotesquelyimpossibletotheharmonyoftheplace。
Asthetwomendroppedtheireyes,theyencounteredtheupturnedfaceofaplainlydressedgirlcomingupthestairsfromthebasement,withabigfeatherdusterinherhand。
ItwasoldBondSaxon"sdaughterDennie,whowasearninghertuitionbykeepingthelibraryandofficesinorder。
Asiftoevenmatters,itwasVicBurleighwhocaughtatokenofrecognitionnow,whiletheyoungProfessorwassurveyedwithfearlessdisapproval。
Allthistookonlyamomentoftime。Longafterwardthesetwomenknewthatinthatmomentanantagonismwasbornbetweenthemthatmustfightitselfoutthroughthelengthofdays。
Butnow,Dr。LloydFenneben,DeanofSunrise,knowntostudentsandalumnialikeas"DeanFunnybone,"wasgraspingeachman"shandwithacordialgripandmeasuringeachwithakeenglancefrompiercingblackeyes,ashebadethemequalwelcome。
Andherealllikenessofconditionsendsforthesetwo。Dayscomeandgo,moonswaxandwane,seedtimeandharvest,coldandheat,summerandwinterglidefourfoldthroughtheirappointedseasons,beforethetwoyoungmenstandsidebysideonacommonlevelagain。
Andtheeventsofthesechangingseasonsringinsorapidly,andinsoinevitableafashion,thatthewholecyclerunslikearealstoryalongthepage。
STRIFE
_Withthefirstfaintnoteoutofdistanceflung,FromthemomentmanhearsthesirencallOfVictory"sbugle,whichsoundsforall,TohisinnerselfthepromiseismadeTowearynot,restnot,butallunafraidPresson——tillforhimthepaeanbesung。
Thesongforthevictorissweet,issweet——
YettothemusicamemoryclingsOftramplednestlings,ofbrokenwings,Andoffaceswhitewithdefeat!_——
ELIZABETHD。PRESTON
CHAPTERI
"DEANFUNNYBONE"
_Naturetheysay,dothdote,AndcannotmakeamanSaveonsomeworn-outplan,Repeatingusbyrote:
ForhimherOld-Worldmouldsasideshethrew,……
Withstuffuntainted,shapedaheronew_——LOWELL
DR。LLOYDFENNEBEN,DeanofSunriseCollege,hadmigratedtotheWalnutValleywiththefoundingoftheschoolhere。
Infact,hehadbroughtthecollegewithhimwhenhecamehither,andhadsetit,asalightnottobehidden,onthecrestofthathighridgethatrunseastofthelittletownofLagondaLedge。Andthetowneagerlytookthenewschooltoitself;atonceitsprideandprofit。
Yea,thetownrisesandsetswithSunrise。Whenthefirstgleamofmorning,hiddenbytheeastridgefromtheWalnutValley,glintsredlyfromthesouthwindowsofthecollegedomeinthewintertime,andfromthenorthwindowsinthesummertime,thetownbestirs;itself,andthefactorywhistlesblow。
AndwhenthelastcrimsongloryofeveningputsahaloofflameaboutthebrowofSunrise,thepeopleknowthatoutbeyondtheWalnutRiverthedayispassing,andthepearl-graymantleoftwilightisdeepeningtovelvetydarknessonthewide,quietprairielands。
LagondaLedgewasabetterplaceafterthecollegesettledpermanentlyaboveit。Someimprovidentcitizenstookanewholdonlife,whilesomeundesirableswhohadlivedinlawlessinfamyskulkedacrosstheWalnutanddisappearedinthatroughpicturesqueregionfullofuncertaintiesthatliesbehindthewestbluffsofthestream。
Allthis,afterthecollegehadfoundanabidingplaceonthelimestoneridge。ForSunrisehadbeenamigratorybirdbeforereachingtheoutskirtsofLagondaLedge。Asafulfillmentofprophecy,ithadarisenfromthevisionsandpocketsofsomeBostonscholars,andithadcometotheWestandwasmadeflesh——orstone——anddweltamongmenontheoutskirtsofaboomingyoungKansastown。
LloydFennebenwasjustoutofHarvardwhenDr。JoshuaWream,hisstep-brother,manyyearshissenior,professorofallthedeadlanguageseverleftunburied,hadputaconsiderablefortuneintohishands,andintohisbrainthedreamofalife-work——
eventhebuildingofagreatuniversityintheWest。FortheWreamswereastubborn,self-willed,bookishbreed,whoheldthatsalvationofsoulscouldcomeonlythroughpossessionofacollegediploma。
YoungFennebenhadcometoKansaswithallhisyouthandhealthandmoney,withhighidealsandcultureandambitionforsuccessanddreamsofhonor——and,hiddendeepdown,thememoryofsomesortofloveaffair,butthatwashisownbusiness。
WiththisdreamofanewHarvardonthewesternprairies,hehadburnedhisbridgesbehindhim,andinanunbusiness-likeway,relyingtoomuchuponaboardoftrusteeswhomhehadinterestedinhisplanshehadeagerlybegunhistask,strugglingtoadapttheWesttohisuniversitymodel,measuringallmenandmeansbythescholarlyruleofhisAlmaMater。Beingayoungman,hetookhimselffullseriously,anditwasatremendousblowtohissenseofdignitywhentheyouthfulJayhawkersattheoutsetdubbedhim"DeanFunnybone"——anamehewasnevertolose。
Hiscollegeflourishedsoamazinglythatanotherboomtown,fartherinland,cameacrosstheprairieoneday,andbeforetheeyesoftheyoungdeanboughtitofthemoney-lovingtrustees——
bodyandsoulanddean——andpackeditoffasthePlainsIndianswouldcarryoffawhitecaptive,milesawaytothewestward。
Plumpeddowninabigframebarracksinthepublicsquareoftwentyacresinthemiddleofthisnewtown,atoncerealestatedealersadvertisedtheplaceastheliterarycenterofKansas;
whilelotsinstragglingadditionsfarawayacrosstheprairiedrawswereboomedas"collegeflatswithinwalkingdistanceoftheuniversity。”
InthisnewsettingLloydFennebenstartedagaintobuildupwhathadbeensorecklesslytorndown。Butitwasslowdoing,andinadowncasthourtheheadoftheboardoftrusteestookcouncilwiththeyoungdean。
"Funnybone,that"swhattheboyscallyou,ain"tit?"
Thenamehadcomealongovertheprairiewiththeschool。
"Funnybone,youareaslikelyamanaseverescapedfromBoston。Butyou"renevergoingtobuildtheEastintotheWest,nomore"nyoucouldramtheWestintotheAtlanticseaboardstates。
MyadvicetoyouistogetyourselfintotheWestforgoodanddropyourhigherlearnin"notions,andbeoneofus,orbeatitbacktowhereyoucamefromquick。”
DeanFennebenlistenedasamanwhohearsthereadingofhisownobituary。
"You"vecomeouttoKansaswithbeautifuldreams,"theblufftrusteecontinued。"Drop"em!You"retoolatefortheNewEnglandpioneerswhocomeWest。They"vehadtheirdayandpassedon。
Thethingforyoutodoistocommercializeyourselfrightaway。
Gotobuyin"andsellin"dirt。It"sallamancandoforKansasnow。
Justboomherrealestate。”
"AllamancandoforKansas!"Fennebenrepeatedslowly。
"Sure,andI"lltellyousomethingmore。Thistownisbusted,absolutelybusted。I,andafewothers,broughtthiscollegehereasaninvestmentforourselves。
Itain"tpaidus,andwe"vethrowedthethingover。
I"vejustclosedadealwithaNewJerseysyndicatethatgetsmeridofeveryfootofgroundIownhere。Thecounty-seat"sgoin"
tobeeighteenmilessouth,anditwillbekingdomcome,a"most,beforetherailroadextensionisanynearer"nthat。
Letyouruniversitygo,andcomewithme。Icanmakeyourichinsixmonths。Insixweeksthecoyoteswillbehowlin"
throughyourcollegehalls,andtheprairiedogslayin"
outatownsiteonthecampus,andtherattlesnakescoilin"
roundthedoorsteps。Willyoucome,Funnybone?"
Thetrusteewaitedforananswer。Whilehewaited,thesouloftheyoungdeanfounditself。
"Funnybone!"Lloydrepeated。"Iguessthat"sjustwhatIneed——
afunnyboneinmyanatomytohelpmetoseethehumorofthisthing。
Gowithyouandgiveupmycollege?Builduptheprosperityofacommonwealthbystarvingitsmind!No,no;I"llgoonwiththethingIcameheretodo——
sohelpmeGod!"
"You"llsoongotothedevil,youandyouroldschool。
Good-by!"Andthetrusteelefthim。
Amonthlater,DeanFennebensataloneinhisuniversitybarracksandsawtheprairiedogsmakingthedustflyastheydiggedaboutwhathadbeenintendedforaflowerbedonthecampus。Thenhepackeduphismeagerlibraryandothercollegeequipmentsandwalkedtenmilesacrosstheplainstohireamanwithateamtohaulthemaway。
Theteamsterhadmuchadotodrivehishalf-bridle-wiseIndianponiesnearenoughtotheuniversitydoorwaytoloadhiswagon。
Beforethethresholdahugerattlesnakelaycoiled,alreadydisputinganyhumanclaimtothiskingdomofthewild。
DiscouragingasallthismusthavebeentoFenneben,whenhestartedawayfromthedesertedtownhesmiledjoyouslyasamanwhoseeshisroadfairbeforehim。
"ImightgobacktoCambridgeandpokeaboutafterthedeadlanguagesuntilmybrotherpasseson,andthendropintohischairintheuniversity,"hesaidtohimself,"butthetrusteewasright。
IcanneverbuildtheEastintotheWest。ButIcanlearnfromtheEasthowtobringtheWestintoitsownkingdom。Icanmakethedeadlanguagesservemethebettertospeakthelivingwordshere。
AndifIcandothat,ImayearnaMaster"sDegreefrommyAlmaMaterwithoutthewritingofalearnedthesistoclinchit。
ButwhetherIwinhonororIamforgotten,thisshallbemylife-work——
outontheseKansasprairies,totillasoilthatshallgrowMENANDWOMEN。”
ForthenextthreeyearsDeanFennebenandhiscollegeflourishedonthebordersofalittlefrontiertown,ifthatcanbecalledflourishingwhichusesuptime,andmoney,andenergy,Christianpatience,anddoggedpersistence。
ThenanAugustprairiefire,sweepingupfromthesouthwest,leapedthenarrowfire-guardabouttheonebuildingandburnedupeverythingthere,exceptDeanFenneben。Sixyears,andnothingtoshowforhisworkontheoutside。Inside,thesixyears"
stayinKansashadseenthemakingoverofascholarlydreamerintoahard-headed,far-seeing,masterfulman,whotooktheWestashefoundit,butdidnotleaveitso。Nothe!
Allthepowerofhigherlearninghestillheldsupreme。
Butbydaysofhardworkinthecollegehalls,andnightsofmeditationoutinthesilentsanctuaryspacesoftheprairiesroundabouthim,hehadbeenlearninghowtocomputetheneedsofmenastheangelwiththegoldenreedcomputedthewallsandgatesoftheNewJerusalem——_*accordingtothemeasureofaman_。
SuchwasDeanFennebenwhocameaftersixyearsofservicetothelittletownofLagondaLedgetoplantSunriseonthecrestabovetheWalnutValleybeyondreachofprairiefireorburstingboom。
Firmsetasthelimestoneofitsfoundations,herearedhereacollegethatshouldlive,forthatitsbuilderhimselfwithhisfeetonthegroundandhisfacetowardthelighthadlearnedthesecretofliving。
Milesawayacrossthevalley,thedomeofSunrisecouldbeseenbyday。
Bynight,theoldcollegelanternatfirst,andlaterthestuddingofelectriclights,madeabeaconforalltheopencountryside。
Butifthewayfarer,bychanceorchoice,turnedhisfootstepstothoserockybluffsandglensbeyondtheWalnutRiver,wherefromthetownofLagondaLedgetakesitsname,helosttheguidingrayfromthehilltopandgropedinblackanddangerouswayswheredarknessrules。
AbovethesouthturrethungtheSunrisebell,whoseresonantvoicefilledthewholevalley,andwhatthesightofSunrisefailedtodoforLagondaLedge,thesoundofthebellaccomplished。
Thefirstclasstoentertheschoolnicknameditshead"DeanFunnybone,"butthisgavehimnoshockanymore。
Hehadlearnedthehumoroflifenow,thespiritoftheopenlandwheretheviewisbroadtobroadeningsouls。
AnditwastothehandofDeanFennebenthatProfessorVincentBurgess,A。B。,GreekinstructorfromBoston,andVicBurleigh,thebigcountryboyfromaclaimbeyondtheWalnut,cameonaSeptemberday;albeit,theonehadhisheadintheclouds,whiletheother"sfeetwerecloggedwiththegrassroots。
CHAPTERII
POTTER"SCLAY
_Thisclay,wellmixedwithmarlandsand,Followsthemotionofmyhand,Forsomemustfollowandsomecommand,Thoughallaremadeofclay_——
LONGFELLOW
THEafternoonsunshinewasfloodingtheSeptemberlandscapewithmoltengold,fillingthevalleywithintenseheat,andripplingbackinwarmwavesfromthecrestoftheridge。
DeanFenneben"sstudyinthesouthtowerofSunriselookedoutonthenewheavenandthenewearth,everyday-dawncreatedafreshforhiseyes;fortruly,theWalnutValleyinanymoodneedsonlyeyesthatseetobecalledagoodlyland。
Anditwasbecauseofthemagnificentvista,unfoldinginwoodland,andwindingriver,andfertilefield,andfargoldenprairie——
itwasbecauseoftheunconsciouspowerofallthisuponthestudentmind,thatDr。Fennebenhadsethiscollegeuphere。
OnthisSeptemberafternoon,theDeansatlookingoutonthislandofpuredelighta-quiverinthelatesummersunshine。
NaturehaddonewellbyLloydFenneben。Hisheightwascommanding,andhewasslender,ratherthanheavy,witheaseofmovementasiftheplayofeverymusclewasnervedtoharmony。
Hisheavyblackhairwaswornatriflelongontheupperpartofhisheadandfellinmassesabovehisforehead。
Hiseyeswereblackandkeenunderheavyblackbrows。
Everyfeaturewasstrongandmassive,butsavedfromsternnessbyagenialkindlinessandsenseofhumor。
Whoevercameintohispresencefeltthatmagneticpoweronlyakingofhiskindcanpossess。
LongtheDeansatgazingatthegleaminglandscapeandthesleepytownbeyondthecampusandthepigeonscirclinggracefullyabovealittlecottage,hiddenbytrees,uptheriver。
"Awonderfulregion!"hemurmured。"Ifthatoldwhite-hairedbrotherofminediggingabouttherootsofGreekandSanscritbackinHarvardcouldonlyseeallthis,maybehemightunderstandwhyIchoosetostayherewithmycollegeinsteadoftyingupwithauniversitybackEast。But,maybenot。
Weareonlystep-brothers。Heisoldenoughtobemyfather,andwithallhisknowledgeofbookshecouldneverreadmen。However,hesentmeWestwithafatpocketbookintheinterestofhighereducation。
IhopeI"veinvestedwell。Andourmagnificentgroupofbuildingsuphereandourbroad-acredcampus,togetherwithoursplendidenrollmentofstudentsjustifymyhope。Strange,IhaveneverknownwhosemoneyIwasusing。
NotJoshuaWream"s,Iknowthat。MoneyisnothingtotheWreamsexceptasitendowslibraries,buildscolleges,andextendsuniversities。
Tooscholarlyfortheseprairies,allofthem!Tooscholarly!"
TheDean"seyeswerefixedonatinyshaftofbluesmokerisingsteadilyfromtheroughcountryinthevalleybeyondLagondaLedge,buthismindwasstillonhisbrother。
"Dr。JoshuaWream,D。D。,Litt。D。,LL。D。,etc。!Hehastakenallthedegreesconferable,exceptthedegreeofhumaninsight。”Somethingbehindthestrongfacesentalineofpathosintoitwiththethought。
"Hehaspiledupenoughformetolookafterthisfall,anyhow。
Itwasbadenoughforthatnieceofourstobeleftapennilessorphanwithonlythetwounclestolookafterherandbothofusbachelors。
Andnow,afterhehasbeenshapingElinorWream"slifeuntilsheisreadyforcollege,hesendsheroutheretome,franklydeclaringthatsheistoomuchforhim。Shealwayswas。”
Heturnedtoaletterlyingonthetablebesidehim,asmileplayingaboutthefrownonhiscountenance。
"HehopesIcandobetterbyElinorthanhehasbeenabletodo,becausehe"sneverhadawifenorchildtoteachhim,"hecontinued,givingwordtohisthought。"Afinetimeformetobegin!
Nowifenorchildhasevertaughtmeanything。Hesayssheisagoodgirl,abeautifulgirlwithonlytwogreatfaults。Onlytwo!
She"slucky。`One""——Fennebenglancedmorecloselyattheletter——"
`isherself-will。"IneverknewaWreamthatdidn"thavethatfault。
`Andtheother""——thefrowndrovebackthesmilenow——"`ishernotionofwealth。Nobodybutarichmancouldeverwinherhand。"
Shewhohasbeensimplyreared,withalltheWreamcreedthathighereducationisthefinalendofman,issetwithaWream-likefirmnessinherhatredofpoverty,hereagernessforrichesandluxury。
AndtoaddtoallthisresponsibilityhemustsendmehispetGreekscholar,VincentBurgess,totryoutasaprofessorinSunrise。ABurgess,ofallmenintheworld,tobesenttome!OfcoursethisyoungmanknowsnothingofmyaffairsbutismybrothertoooldandtooscholarlytorememberwhatI"vetriedathousandtimestoforget?
Ithoughttheoldwoundhadhealedbythistime。”
Awaveofsadnesssweptthestrongman"sface。"I"veaskedBurgesstocomeupatthree。Imustfindoutwhatmaterialissenthereformyshaping。
Itisapresident"sbusinesstoshapewell,andImustdomybest,Godhelpme!"
AshadowdarkenedLloydFenneben"sface,andhisblackeyesheldastrangelight。HestaredvacantlyatthelandscapeuntilhesuddenlynotedtheslenderwaveringpillarofsmokebeyondtheWalnut。
"Therearenohousesinthoseglensandhiddenplaces,"hethought。
"Iwonderwhatfireisunderthatsmokeonadaylikethis。
Itisafarcryfromthetopofthisridgetothebottomofthathalf-tamedregiondownthere。Onemayseeintothreecountieshere,butitisroughtravelingacrosstheriverbyday,andworsebynight。”
ThebellabovethesouthturretchimedthehourofthreeasVincentBurgessenteredthestudy。
"Takethisseatbythewindow,"Dr。Fennebensaidwithagenialsmileandahandclaspworthremembering。"YoucanseeanEmpirefromthispoint,ifyoucaretolookout。”
VincentBurgesssatateaseinanypresence。Hehadthefaceofascholar,andthemannersofagentleman。Buthegavenosignthathecaredtoviewtheempirethatlaybeyondthewindow。
"Wearetobeco-workersforsometime,Burgess。MayIaskyouwhyyouchosetocometoKansas?"
Fennebencamestraighttothepurposeoftheinterview。
Thiskeen-eyed,business-likemanseemedtoBurgessveryunlikeoldDr。Wream,whomeverybodyatHarvardlovedandanybodycoulddeceive。
Buttothedirectquestionheanswereddirectlyandconcisely。
"Icametostudytypes,toacquiregeographicalbreadth,tohaveseclusion,thatImaypursuemoreprofoundresearch。”
TherewasaplayoflightinDr。Fenneben"seyes。
"YoumustjudgeforyourselfofthevalueofSunriseandLagondaLedgeforseclusion。Butwemakeaspecialtyofgeographicalbreadthouthere。
Astotypes,theyassayfairlywelltotheton,theseJayhawkersdo。”
"WhatareJayhawkers,Doctor?"Burgessqueried。
"Yonderisonespecimen,"Fennebenanswered,pointingtowardthewindow。
VincentBurgess,lookingout,sawVicBurleighleapingupthebroadstepsfromthelevelcampus,agiantfellow,fullysixfeettall。
Theswingofstrength,voidofgrace,wasinhismotion。
Hisfacewasgypsy-brownunderacropofsunburnedauburnhair。
Astiffnewderbyhatwassetbashfullyonaheadsetunabashedonbroadshoulders。Thestore-markoftheready-madewasonhisclothing,anditwasclearthathewaslessaccustomedtocutstonestepsthantospringingprairiesod。
Clearlyhewasarealproductofthesoil。
"Why,thatistheyoungbumpkinIcameinwiththismorning。
IthoughtIwasstridingalongsideanelephantinbulkandwildhorseinspeed,"Burgesssaidwithasmile。
"Youwillhaveashareintaminghim,doubtless,"Dr。Fennebenreplied。
"Helookshardlybridle-wiseyet。Enterhimamongyourtypes。
Ididn"tgethisnamethismorning,butheinterestedmeatonce,asafellowofgoodbloodifnotofgoodmanners,andIhaveaskedhimtocomeinherelater。Someboysmustbemetontheverythresholdofacollegeiftheyaretorunsafelyalongthefouryears。”
"HisnameisBurleigh,VictorBurleigh。Irememberitbecauseitisnotanewnametome。Picturehiminacapandgownathomeinalibrary,orstandinguptoreceiveaMaster"sDegreefromauniversity!
Hiskindleaveaboutthemiddleofthesecondsemesterandreverttothesoil,don"tthey?"
Burgesslaughedpleasantly,andleanedforwardtogetonemorelookatthecountryboy,disappearingbehindagroupofevergreensinthenorthangleofthebuilding。
"Theydonotalwaysleavesosoonasthat。Youcan"ttellthegradeoftimbereverytimebythebarkoutside。”
TherewasadeepertoneinDr。Fenneben"svoicenow。
"Butastoyourself,youhadamotiveincomingtoKansas,Ijudge。
Youcanstudytypesanywhere。”
Whethertheyoungmanlikedthisornot,heansweredevenly:
"IamtogiveinstructioninGreekhereatLagondaLedge。Beastlyname,isn"tit?Suggestiveofrattlesnakes,somehow!Ishallspendmuchtimeinstudy,forIampreparingacomprehensivethesisformyMaster"sDegree。Theverybarrennessofthesedullprairieswillkeepmeclosetomylibraryforacoupleofyears。”
"Oh,youwilldoyourworkwellanywhere,"Dr。Fennebendeclared。
"Youneednotputwallsofdistancesaboutyouforthat。
Ithoughtyoumighthaveamoredefinitepurposeinchoosingthisstate,ofallplaces。”
Fenneben"smindwasrunningbacktothedaysofhisownfirststruggleforexistenceintheWest,andhisheartwentoutinsympathytotheundisciplinedyoungprofessor。
"Ihaveareason,butitisentirelyapersonalmatter。”
Burgesswaslookingatthefloornow。"DidyouknowIhadasisteronce?"
"Yes,Iknow,"Dr。Fennebensaid。
"ShewasmarriedandcametoKansas。ThatwasafteryouleftCambridge,Isuppose。Sheandherhusbandarebothdead,leavingnochildren。Myfatherwasbitterlyopposedtohercomingouthere,andneverforgaveherforit。
Hediedrecently,makingmehisheir。I"vealwaysthoughtI"dliketoseethestatewheremysisterlived。Shediedyoung。
Shecouldnothavebeenasoldasyouare,andyouareayoungmanyet,Doctor。Inaddition,myfatherleftinmycaresometrustfundsforaclaimantwhoalsolivedinKansas。Heisdeadnow,butIwanttofindoutsomethingmoredefiniteconcerninghim。
Outsideofthis,Ihopetodowellhereandtosucceedtohigherplaceselsewhere,soon。Allthispersonaltomyself,andworthy,Ihope。”
HelookedatFenneben,whowasleaningforwardwithhiselbowonthetableandhisheadbowed。Hisfacewashiddenandhiswhitefingerswerethrustthroughtheheavymassesofblackhair。
"Youwillfindagreatfieldhereinwhichtoworkoutyoursuccess,"
theDeansaidatlength。"ButImustgiveawordofwarning。
Itriedoncetoreproducetheeasternuniversityhere。
Ilearnedbetter。IfKansasistobeyourtrainingground,mayIsaythatthemanwhoopenshisfrontdoorforthefirsttimeonthegreenprairiesoftheWesthasnolesstolearnthanthemanwhofirstpitcheshistentbesidetheblueAtlantic?Don"tsayIdidn"tshowyouwheretofindtheblazedtrailifyougetlostfromitforalittlewhile。”
Dr。Fenneben"sfacewascharmingwhenhesmiled。
"OneotherthingImaymention。Youknowmyniece,Elinor?I"vebeenoutheresolong,Imayneedyourhelpinmakingherfeelathomeatfirst。”
TherewasanewlightinBurgess"seyesatthementionofElinorWream"sname。
"Oh,yes,IknowMissElinorverywell。Ishallneedhermoretomakemefeelathomethanshewillneedme。”
Somehowtheanswerwasatrifletooquickandsmoothtoringright。
Dr。Fennebenforgotitinaninstant,however,forElinorWreamherselfcamesuddenlyintotheroom,atall,slendergirl,withafacesofullofsunshinycharmthatnogreatdefectofcharacterhadyetmadeitsmarkthere。
"Ibegyourpardon,UncleLloyd;Ithoughtyouwerealone。Howdoyoudo,ProfessorBurgess。”Shecameforwardsmilinglyandofferedherhand。
"MakesmehomesickforoldCambridgeandUncleJoshuawhenIseeyou。
IwanttogodowntoLagondaLedge,andIdon"tknowthestreetsatall。
Don"tyouwanttoshowmetheway?"
"Can"tyouwaitformetodothat,Norrie?Ihaveonlyonemoreengagementfortheafternoon,andMissSaxonwillbewantingtodustinheresoon。”
Dr。Fennebenlookedfondlyathisniece,amantomakeothermenjealous,ifoccasionoffered。
"Pleasedon"t,MissElinor,"VincentBurgessurged。
"IshallbedelightedtoexploredarkestKansaswithyouatanytime。”
"Thereisnomistakingthatlookinaman"seyes,"Dr。Fennebenthoughtashewatchedthetwopassthroughtherotundaandoutofthegreatfrontdoor。"IhaveguessedJoshua"splaneasilyenough,butI"veonlyhalfguessedhimout。Whydidhementionhismoneymatterstome?
ThereisenoughmeritinhimworththeshapingSunrisewillgivehim,however,andImustdoaman"spart,anyhow。AsforElinor,there"saready-mademissionaryfieldinher,soJoshuawarnsme。